Epic Indoor Water Park, Grand Prairie, Texas

A Macaroni Moms Perspective…

Saturday morning on March 30th was nothing like any other Saturday morning.  I was woken up at 7:00 AM (well that is the same as any other day) by my excited 7 year old “It's today mommy!! It’s today!!!”  I got our breakfast ready and about an hour later it was time to get our beach towels and our swimsuits on, my cute Mickey Mouse bag, and I didn’t forget the goggles which is a plus… 

After getting everything and everyone in the car, the drive was easy and smooth even in rain.  Wherever you're coming from in the DFW metroplex, it should be no more than about a 45ish minute drive, max.

We arrived at Epic Indoor Water Park, it was so cold that morning! But we had a trolley waiting for everyone that was arriving. The trolley took us directly to the front door.  We went inside, it was so warm!  We were greeted by young smiley faces, our bag was checked, bracelets put on and off we went! 

We were directed to our Cabana, a private and spacious space. It was easy to find the family changing rooms and all the amenities. After we changed, my 7 year old couldn't wait any longer.  She had to go to the lazy river, she grabbed her goggles and walked in, the water was nice... We went around, being taken by the current, it felt so good… This lazy river actually has some waves, which makes it much more fun.

Hubby is braver than I am, so he went to the big slides, while I relaxed with a nice cold margarita in my hand and watched my daughter make new friends in the kid zone. 

Lunchtime came and I started to freak out, my daughter is really picky. Don’t get me wrong, she eats fruits and veggies but everything has to be prepared in a certain way, certain consistencies and flavors trigger a gag reflex.  I read the menu countless times before giving it to her. She decided she wanted onion rings and hot dog sliders.

Well, I was impressed, she actually ate… My hubby loved his burger and I loved my chicken…

We rested a little, let the food settle down and went back to the water.

We spent hours in this awesome water park and didn't even notice how the time flew by.  We had so much fun!

Now, on to let you know if you would have as much fun as we did…

The water park is well built for people bringing strollers and wheelchairs. It has a wheelchair pool lift, wide ramps to everywhere around the park. Big bathrooms and changing rooms. So if you have a mobility issue you can still enjoy all the amenities.  

The water park is loud and it is hot when wearing outside clothes, so if you have a little one or a family member in the spectrum, it might be an issue. They do offer activities where there are fewer people around and less noise.

You won't be allowed to bring food from the outside unless necessary due to a medical issue. At first, this bothered me because I like to save money and like to prepare my daughter’s food, but when it was time to order, the menu has a wide variety and it is really affordable. And when we got the food, it looked and smelt so good. It tasted even better, my daughter's plate was so full that she ate part and saved the rest, it was enough for 3 kids!! So the portions are well sized for hungry kids and grown-ups.

Pros:

• Trolley that takes everyone to the front door
• All bags are checked, so you know that no one is bringing in any dangerous item 
• Bracelets for all-day passes, so you can leave and return anytime during the day
• Family changing rooms and restrooms
• Lockers (additional fee but totally worth it)
• Water fountains
• Arcade (additional purchase necessary)
• An on-site restaurant, the Hungry Wave (funny name right? Awesome, picky eater approved food!)
• Changing tables in all bathrooms, yes on men’s bathrooms too
• Big spacious changing rooms and bathrooms, awesome for strollers and wheelchairs
• Stroller and wheelchair accessible
• Wheelchair pool lift
• Beach entry pools, lazy river, and little kids play zone
• Kid’s play zone is huge and has different stations for every size and age
• Flowrider 
• The Swimming Hole, a swimming pool with basketball hoops

And 

• A bar, a place where you can purchase a beer or a margarita and relax…

Cons

• It gets too hot before and after you change to outside clothes
• It does get too loud
• You can’t bring your own food

Tips:

• Don’t try to bring your own food, bags are checked so you will only make yourself go back to the car or dump whatever you are trying to bring in. You can go in and out whenever you need so if you are sure you don't want to buy their awesome food, you can always leave, eat something and come back
• Try to get lunch before 12 pm or after 2 pm, the line is shorter during these times
• Non-slip shoes are a must, especially for the little ones
• During the summer, bring sunscreen because they open the roof
• Bring towels, and any extra clothing you might need
• If you have any valuables and don’t have anyone to leave them with, they have lockers available to rent
• Please don’t drink and drive

Check out some of the Epic Indoor Waterpark in Garland Videos here!